1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for washing meat and/or produce. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for separating debris from the meat and from the produce. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus whereby meat, game and/or produce can be easily washed in a relatively small container.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
During the course of hunting, it becomes necessary to harvest the meat from the killed game. The game can be in the nature of birds, fish, deer, boars, and other commonly-hunted game. When the meat is harvested, the harvested meat is often tossed into a container, along with the associated debris, such as feathers, hair, blood, scales, and related debris. After the meat is collected in the container, the meat must be meticulously cleaned in order to separate the debris from the meat. This is a very time-consuming and difficult operation. As such, a need has developed so as to provide an apparatus and method so as conveniently and efficiently separate the debris from the meat.
In particular, in the hunting of fowl, the bird is de-breasted so that the breast meat can be tossed into the container. The person harvesting the meat will often have feathers and blood on his or her hands. Whenever the harvested breast is tossed into the container, the feathers and blood will also be passed into the container. After all of the breasts, blood and feathers have been accumulated in the container, another operation is required to take each of the breasts from the container and meticulously clean the breast of blood and feathers. As a result, a clean bird breast is obtained.
In the case in which fish are the game that is being caught, the fillets of the fish are separated from the body of the fish and also tossed into the container. During the process of descaling the fish, residual scales and blood will reside on the hands of the person cleaning the fish. The scales and blood will be delivered, along with the harvested meat, into the container. Once again, a need has developed so as to be able to properly separate the meat of the fish from the scales and the blood.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to devices for cleaning game. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,371, issued on Nov. 18, 1958 to R. M. Krull, describes a fish cleaning device. This fish cleaning device includes a generally cylindrical housing. The housing has a plurality of longitudinal corrugations therein spaced around an upper compartment. An electric motor is mounted in the lower compartment and has a vertical shaft extending through the wall into the upper compartment. A scaling plate is mounted on the shaft in rotatable relationship therewith adjacent the wall in the upper compartment. The plate has a plurality of angularly spaced upwardly projecting generally radial ridges thereon so as to cause tumbling action in fish contained in the upper compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,159, issued on Dec. 27, 1960 to R. C. Ruegnitz, describes an egg washing apparatus. This egg washing apparatus includes a container having an imperforate detachable cover and includes a chamber adapted to receive a liquid. A perforate basket supports eggs within the container and has a sleeve extending centrally therein above a horizontal plane defined by the upper rim of the basket. The basket is removably suspended within the chamber. An agitator is provided that includes a vertical shaft equipped with a plurality of elongated vertical blades. A motor is arranged with the agitator for rotating the agitator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,051, issued on Nov. 6, 1979 to J. P. Reid, describes a vegetable washer for washing food articles. The washing apparatus includes a container for housing the food articles, an agitation system and washing system for removing undesired foreign materials from the surface of the food articles, and a discharge system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,095, issued on Feb. 23, 1988 to Bissell Jr. et al., discloses a fish scaler device. The device includes a water bucket, an abrasive continuous surface within the bucket, and an agitator for water within the bucket. As the water is agitated, fish suspended within the bucket gently tumble against the abrasive surface and are thereby scaled. The abrasive surface is an inwardly dimpled bucket liner. The agitator is a rotatable impeller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,386, issued on Aug. 16, 1988 the H. A. Wissbroecker, teaches a fish scaling apparatus that includes a container and a cylindrical insert including a plurality of inwardly-extending projections. The projections are provided with a rough or sharp edge. A paddle member is disposed within the interior of the cylindrical insert and is connected to a shaft extending exterior of the container. The shaft is adapted for connection to the chuck of a portable drill. When the drill is operated, the rotation of the paddle member occurs within the interior of the cylindrical insert. The rotation causes fish disposed within the interior of the cylindrical insert to come into contact with the inwardly-extending projections so as to remove the scales from the fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,768, issued on Oct. 31, 1989 the C. K. Bright, shows a fish scaler that includes a bucket. A perpendicularly extending rod is rotatably connected to the lid of the bucket. A scaling element is attached to the rod. A plurality of scaling protrusions are attached to the exterior of the scaling element. The rotation of the scaling element causes relative movement between the scaling protrusions and the suspended fish so as to remove the scales from the suspended fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,855, issued on Jul. 14, 1992 to Bruckert et al., describes a fish scaler apparatus that includes an exterior cylindrical container with an interior cylindrical insert. A central axle is directed through a lid of the container so as to accommodate a drill so as to permit the rotation of the axle. The axle includes a central conduit with exterior ports to effect the washing of the fish within the container. The ports are in fluid communication with a fluid source, such as a garden hose.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0093107, published on Apr. 18, 2013 to R. Funderburg, discloses a fish and game washer that is designed to wash and clean meat. The meat is put into a bucket and a water source is connected thereto. Air is sucked in to mix with water. This causes the meat float up from the bottom and begin to toss and tumble. This takes the loose scales, feathers, blood and debris over the top of the bucket.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0127986, published on May 8, 2014 to W. Cady, describes a cleaning device that uses water pressure to prepare fish and wild game for consumption. A bucket is described having a conduit affixed to a wall thereof. The conduit can be connected to a source of water pressure such that water pressure is directed into the interior of the bucket so as to interact with the game within the interior of the bucket.
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm- or garden-produced crops and goods including fruits and vegetables. Nuts, grains, oats and tubers are also considered to be produce. The term “produce” implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as when they were harvested.
Whenever produce is removed from the garden or farm, the produce often has debris from the earth attached thereto. For example, when potatoes are harvested, the potatoes will have a substantial amount of dirt thereon. When berries or other fruits are harvested, they often have number of stems and residual leaves attached thereto. In other circumstances, when such produce is a product of farming, the produce can often have certain amounts of pesticides and fungicides thereon. As such, whenever the produce is harvested, it is important to be able to scrub and clean the produce before the produce is consumed by individuals or processed further.
The cleaning of produce is a rather time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult process. For mass-produced vegetables and fruits, a wide variety of cleaning machines have been developed. These cleaning machines are very complicated and quite expensive. Typically, the machines will include a variety of scrubbing brushes which tend to scrape the exterior of the produce. This can actually result in damage to the produce. In other circumstances, jets of water can be directed to the produce. However, the jets of water often only contact a portion of the surface of the produce and do not effectively scrub the entire fruit or vegetable. In other circumstances, where large numbers of fruits and vegetables are being cleaned, the grouping of such fruits and vegetables will actually impair the ability to effectively clean certain surfaces of the fruit or vegetable.
For garden-produced produce, individuals will often require the use of scrub brushes or other cleaning implements in order to effectively remove the debris from the exterior of the produce. This will make the cleaning of the produce a difficult and time-consuming process. Eventually, users may grow uninterested in the complete cleaning of such produce and, as a result, will be content to leave some of the debris on the produce. Whenever debris remains on the produce, this can impair the taste of the fruit or vegetable, or result in toxic effects to the person consuming the produce. As such, it is very important to effectively clean produce in a quick, easy, and non-labor-intensive manner.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to the cleaning of fruits and vegetables. For example, an early patent is that of U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,430, issued on Jun. 26, 1934 to E. C. Eberts. This patent describes a fruit and vegetable cleaning machine that includes a mass of freely-moving sponges. A rotary screening member is rotated to agitate the mixed mass of fruits and vegetables so as to cause such fruit and vegetables to percolate through the mass of sponges. A liquid is provided to contact with the sponges. Another means is provided for separating the product from the sponges.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,393, issued on Jun. 16, 1942 to J. Thomas, discloses a vegetable cleaner in which a series of brush rolls are mounted in parallel relation to form a brushing bed over which the vegetables can be advanced transversely of the rolls. The rolls are driven in a common direction corresponding to the direction of advance of the vegetables. A terminal roll is driven in a direction of rotation opposite to the other rolls in order to arrest the advance of the vegetables. The spacing of the terminal roll in the oppositely-rotating adjacent roll is such that the vegetables resting on the terminal roll and the oppositely-rotating roll are discharged outwardly therebetween and in brushing engagement therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,308,775, issued on Jan. 19, 1943 to S. Olson, teaches a vegetable cleaning machine. This vegetable cleaning machine includes a drum that is open at opposite ends thereof. The drum is supported for rotation about an inclined axis. Rotary brushes are mounted inside the drum in substantially contiguous relationship to each other and with their axes extending parallel to the axis of the drum. The brushes are rotated in the same direction by the rotation of the drum about its axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,946, issued on Apr. 18, 1950 to J. C. Doolittle, shows a vegetable cleaning machine. In particular, this machine is designed for cleaning podded vegetables. The machine includes a plurality of driven conveyor belts arranged one below the other so that a lower belt will receive the vegetables dropped thereupon from the discharge end of an upper belt so as to form repeated cleaning stations. A current of air is directed over and adjacent to the surface of the lower belts and in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the conveying surfaces in order to blow stalks, leaves, and other trash from the potted vegetables as they dropped from one belt to another and while they are being conveyed on and by the belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,808, issued on Dec. 18, 1951 to Johnson et al., teaches a potato cleaning and separating device. This device employs a first chamber containing a brine solution of a sufficient specific gravity to cause the heavier pieces of debris to precipitate to the bottom of the debris while the potatoes float on the surface of the brine solution. A second chamber contains only water wherein the potatoes are washed and separated from the remaining debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,927, issued on Jun. 22, 1965 to R. L. Dyar, shows a vegetable processing machine including an elongated drum and a means for rotating the drum. The drum rotates about an axis such that a mass of material within the drum moves by gravity to a lower wall of the drum. Elongated brushes are positioned within the drum at a location adjacent to the interior wall of the drum. The brush is rotated in a direction such that the bristles of the brush closest to the inner wall of the drum move in an opposite direction to the movement of the wall of the drum. Material within the drum is conveyed toward the brush during rotation of the drum and is progressively contacted by the drum and expelled toward the rear of the moving mass of material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,573, issued on Nov. 11, 1986 to F. Lange, discloses an apparatus for cleaning fruits and vegetables. This apparatus is provided for removing damaged, skin impurities. This cleaning apparatus has a loading opening, and a housing enclosing a revolving conveyor drum which is partially surrounded by a plurality of abrasive elements. The abrasive elements serve to clean the fruits and vegetables within the housing.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0220158, published on Sep. 15, 2011 to C. T. Ho, provides a fruit and vegetable cleaning device that includes a base, a pump and a pressure vessel. The pump is mounted on the base and includes a water feeding pipe connecting a water inlet port and the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel includes a water discharge port and an electromagnetic valve. The pump supplies water to the pressure vessel to allow air to mix with the water inside the pressure vessel so as to fill the water with air bubbles. Residual pesticides remaining on fruits and vegetables will attach to the tiny air bubbles contained in the water when the water is used to clean the fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, certain patents have issued with respect to the washing of game. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0093107, published on Apr. 18, 2013 to R. Funderburg, discloses a fish and game washer that is designed to wash and clean meat. The meat is put into a bucket and a water source is connected thereto. Air is sucked in order to mix with the water. This causes the meat the float up from the bottom and the and begin to toss and tumble. This takes the loose scales, feathers, blood and debris over the top of the bucket.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0127986, published on May 8, 2014 to W. Cady, describes a cleaning device that uses water pressure to prepare fish and wild game for consumption. A bucket is described as having a conduit affixed to a wall thereof. The conduit can be connected to a source of water pressure such that the water pressure is directed into the interior of the bucket so as to interact with the game within the interior of the bucket.
It is an object of the present invention provide a method and apparatus that effectively washes meat and/or produce.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that is relatively inexpensive.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus wherein the container used for the washing of meat and/or produce can be blow-molded and/or injection molded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that washes meat and/or produce more efficiently.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for washing meat and/or produce that can be easily handled, transported and stored.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for washing meat and/or produce that facilitates the ability to carry the unwashed meat or produce.
It is still another object of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for washing meat and/or produce that is has a size suitable for placement in an ice chest.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for washing meat and/or produce that allows the washed meat and/or produce to be easily removed from the container.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.